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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2020 Nov 1.
Published in final edited form as: Cell Immunol. 2019 Sep 19;345:103989. doi: 10.1016/j.cellimm.2019.103989

Figure 3. hTERT/Telomerase expression during T cell differentiation.

Figure 3.

T cell differentiation from TN to TCM and TEM cells results in loss of telomere length, reduced expression of hTERT mRNA and telomerase but gain of effector functions. TN cells have longer telomeres than TCM and TEM cells due to fewer past cell divisions. Correspondingly, there is a progressive decrease in hTERT mRNA and telomerase activity with differentiation that correlates with decreased proliferative capacity, and increased propensity for apoptosis.